California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of redistricting bills Thursday, calling a special election for Nov. 4 that will allow voters to decide on a newly drawn congressional map designed to counter Republican gains in Texas. The move, Democrats said, was a direct response to the Texas Legislature's approval of a map backed by President Donald Trump aimed at flipping five Democratic-held seats.
"This is a reaction to an assault on our democracy in Texas," Newsom said at a press conference before signing the bills. "We're responding to what occurred in Texas. We're neutralizing what occurred, and we're giving the American people a fair chance, because when all things are equal, we're all playing by the same rules."
The California Legislature, dominated by Democrats, passed the three-bill package within hours Thursday ahead of a Friday deadline to ensure the new districts appear on the ballot. The plan would give Democrats five additional U.S. House seats, offsetting Republican efforts in Texas to secure the same number of new GOP districts.
Republicans denounced the measures and promised a legal challenge. California Assemblyman James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader, said Trump was "wrong" to push for GOP seats elsewhere but warned that Newsom's "fight fire with fire" approach risked long-term damage. "You move forward fighting fire with fire and what happens? You burn it all down," Gallagher said.
California Senator Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat who co-authored the legislation, argued that inaction would have left Republicans with unchecked power. "What do we do, just sit back and do nothing? Or do we fight back? This is how we fight back and protect our democracy," Gonzalez said during floor debate.
The clash highlights the high stakes heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats are currently three seats away from reclaiming control of the U.S. House. Trump has pressed GOP-led states including Indiana, Missouri and Ohio to redraw their maps, while Republicans in Texas have acknowledged their aim is partisan. "The underlying goal of this plan is straight forward: improve Republican political performance," Texas state Rep. Todd Hunter, the bill's author, said.
Democrats' plan marks a sharp break from California's tradition of independent redistricting. Voters approved a nonpartisan commission in 2008 and extended its authority to congressional maps in 2010. Newsom had previously supported that system, but he said circumstances had changed. "We'll be the first state in U.S. history, in the most democratic way, to submit to the people of our state the ability to determine their own maps," the governor said.
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Newsom's plan, despite his past support for national nonpartisan redistricting. "I think that approach is a smart, measured approach," Obama said at a Democratic fundraiser Tuesday, adding that the referendum ensures voters have the final say.
Republicans warned the new maps undermine California's "gold-standard" redistricting system. "What you're striving for is predetermined elections," Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland said. "You're taking the voice away from Californians."
